You're Flushing Your Water Heater Wrong (And It Could Cost You $3,000)

That popping and rumbling from your water heater at night is sand and scale cooking in the bottom of the tank, and every year it gets a little thicker. A new water heater, put in by a plumber, runs fifteen hundred to three thousand dollars, and they almost never quit on a nice afternoon. You can flush it yourself with a garden hose and a screwdriver in about half an hour. I'll show you the five things that matter, including the mistake at the very end that turns a free job into a repair bill in about ten seconds. In this video: 0:00 The popping in the basement 1:31 The night the drain valve wouldn't close 2:32 #1: Listen, read the date, look at the bottom 4:15 #2: Shut the heat off and let it cool 5:23 Where we are so far 5:46 #3: Cold off, hot tap on, hose out 7:10 #4: The real flush most people skip 8:39 #5: Water first, heat second 10:28 What's yours to do, and what's not 11:27 The whole list for your Saturday 11:58 Next time: when your furnace won't start Safety: The water in the tank can be hot enough to burn you badly in seconds, so shut the heat off and let it cool first, and keep kids and pets away from the end of the hose. On an electric water heater, turn the breaker off before you drain a drop, and don't turn it back on until the tank is completely full. Leave the safety relief valve alone. If the tank is leaking from the bottom, the drain valve won't stop dripping, or the burner won't light, call a plumber or the gas company. If you ever smell gas, don't touch anything; get everyone out and call from outside. I'm not a plumber; I'm a homeowner sharing what works at my own house.